Public meeting - Weds 11 December @ 7.30pm - Allenburys

We have received an e-mail from Chauncy School stating that they propose to press ahead with the demolition of Fanshawe Pool & Gym.

This will be being funded by taxpayer money from Government to facilitate swimming for schools, as well as with your Council Tax money by East Herts District Council.

The school have declined offers of two years' funding to cover the 40% they currently pay.

Please see the e-mail we received from Steve Walton - Headteacher

Hello Adrian,

Further to my e-mail on 27th November 2024 (copied below):

With regards to the central government emergency funding, I have tried to ascertain the nature and level of funding that HCC could apply for, when we would hear about this grant and when funds would be released.

I have not had a response.

I met with Everyone Active again on Monday, this week. 

In light of the decision to close the pool, they have made a number of redundancies and have redeployed staff into other positions within the company from 31st December 2024.

They have made arrangements to redistribute or sell their equipment and removal has been scheduled for early January 2025.  

A new contract with Everyone Active may not be possible beyond December and any new contract would incur a far greater fee.

The Chauncy School Governing Body met on Wednesday evening and discussed Fanshawe Pool and Gym.

At this meeting, the governors voted unanimously to close the facility as planned on Sunday 22nd December 2024.

We have put in place a plan to decommission the facility with a view to demolish.

We have now agreed a schedule for works to decommission the pool and make the site secure and safe, from 22nd December 2024.

We have instructed our insurers of the changes to the use of the buildings.

The joint use agreement between East Herts District Council and Chauncy School will terminate once the facility is fully decommissioned, the site made secure and safe and final costs can be ascertained. 

There is no short term financial solution available to make the necessary repairs and refurbishment required. 

There is no viable financial solution to keep the facility open in the longer term.

Chauncy School does not have the appropriate funds to provide its 40% commitment to keep the facility running whilst a long term sustainable solution is determined. 

The remaining funding we do have is needed to ensure the pool can be decommissioned and the site made secure and safe.  

This is a decision we have not taken lightly and I can understand the disappointment and upset that the closure of Fanshawe Pool and Gym will cause.

Regards,

Steve Walton

Headteacher

Chauncy School - The Ware Academy for the Arts, Mathematics and Computing

Park Road   Ware    Hertfordshire   SG12 0DP

Tel: 01920 411200   Fax: 01920 411201

http://www.chauncyschool.com

Good Afternoon,

Further to previous communications, I am writing to provide an update on Fanshawe Pool and Gym.

Chauncy School has now received an independent conditions survey for Fanshawe Pool and Gym which was carried out on Monday 18th November 2024. The brief was to make the facility viable in the short to medium term. The survey did not take into consideration plant machinery, asbestos or ground subsidence. The estimated cost to repair, replace or refurbish was £435,240. In addition an inspection was carried out on the boilers, flues and filtration system and we have an estimated cost of £150,000 to urgently replace this system. 

The previous conditions survey carried out by East Herts District Council highlighted £740,000 costs to carry out necessary remedial and future works. In addition Everyone Active had quoted £80,000 to replace the boilers, flues and filtration system. 

Chauncy School cannot provide funding to make the necessary repairs and refurbishment to make the pool viable. 

I have communicated with the ESFA with regards to the joint funding agreement. They have confirmed that we cannot use school funds to support the refurbishment of Fanshawe Pool & Gym and nor can we cover ongoing running costs. We can only allocate funds to our ‘core purpose’ that is the direct education of our pupils. The ESFA  have directed me to our independent auditors for further advice about using school funds. I met with our auditor on Friday 25th October 2024, who told me that we could only use school funds for the direct education of our students. Chauncy School currently uses 64 hours of pool time at Fanshawe. The ESFA have also suggested that the school seeks independent legal advice to ensure that we do not break any of the conditions of our funding agreement. 

Whilst Ware Town Council has recently offered to cover the £120,000 the school formerly received from the Department of Education. This grant was to cover the 40% of the costs of running the pool & gym, its maintenance and management. I am not certain of EHDC’s commitment or ability to continue funding the remaining 60% of the costs.

I have been in communication with Sport England to take advice on funding opportunities. The Swimming Pool Support fund which previously assisted with large scale projects is only open to Local Authorities but has now closed and it is uncertain whether this fund will be available in the next financial year. Although Sport England have directed me to several smaller grants that may be available, they are nowhere near large enough to cover repair, refurbishment or running costs. The largest grant we could apply for was £15,000. 

I met with Russell Teale from Vivify on Wednesday 13th November 2024. Vivify is a company who takes on the management of leisure centres and swimming pools and works closely with the Rebecca Adlington Foundation - Movement Project in securing additional grant funding. This company would require the school to relinquish control of all other leisure facilities such as the Sports Hall, Gym, Hall and outdoor space, so that hirings and lettings opportunities could be maximised to offset the costs associated with the pool. The school is not prepared to surrender control of our facilities as we have a very controlled hirings and lettings system that offers local community use but does not overuse our facilities. I offered Russell the opportunity to visit Fanshawe Pool & Gym and although initially interested, I have received no further communication since.

I have met twice with MP Josh Dean who has tried to lobby the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education to reverse the decision to cut funding and support Fanshawe. There have been no updates since I last met Josh on Friday 22nd November 2024.

I have spoken to Ware Lido and they have agreed in principle, subject to a final decision about the closure of Fanshawe Pool, to accommodate our swimming needs in the summer and autumn term of 2025. In addition, I have agreed in principle for our senior swimmers to have pool time at Haileybury College in the spring term to ensure that all GCSE, A Level or equivalent coursework is completed. I have spoken to both St. Catherine’s School and Middleton School, the only two other schools who use Fanshawe Pool. I have put St. Catherine’s in touch with Ware Lido and they now have afternoon swimming sessions booked in the summer term and I have requested that Everyone Active prioritises swimming for Middleton School at Hartham Swimming Pool as they are a specialist provision and have their own transport. 

I have been pressed to make a decision about the decommissioning of the pool & gym as we run the risk of not having the site and facilities made secure by 31st December 2024 when the contract between East Herts District Council and Everyone Active expires. To ensure site security and safety, a final decision has to be made now. 

To decommission the facility and prepare it for demolition will incur significant costs which in part will be met by the 2024/25 funding provided by the DfE and the 60% commitment by EHDC. To mothball the site to await further solution will incur significantly higher monthly costs which the school simply cannot cover. Therefore, Fanshawe Pool and Gym will close on Friday 22nd December 2024 as agreed, and decommissioning will take place shortly afterwards. The management contract between East Herts District Council and Everyone Active will terminate on December 31st 2024.. 

There is no viable long term financial solution available to keep the facility open and the school cannot and will not shoulder the financial burden and liability for Fanshawe Pool and Gym going forward.

Regards,

Steve Walton

Headteacher

Chauncy School - The Ware Academy for the Arts, Mathematics and Computing

Park Road   Ware    Hertfordshire   SG12 0DP

Tel: 01920 411200   Fax: 01920 411201

http://www.chauncyschool.com

Help us make Chauncy School reconsider their decision to close the pool?

Please take some time to reach out to Mr Miles Ambler, Chair of Governors and Mr Stephen Walton, Headteacher to ask them to reconsider giving Chauncy Pool and Gym time to find a new sustainable operating model.

Miles Ambler: Email: jackie.grosch@chauncy.org.uk

Stephen Walton: Email: stephen.walton@chauncy.org.uk

The QR Code below links to the save Fanshawe petition. Please publicise far and wide.

Ware Swimming Club